Now that you know more about the planets and signs in astrology, let's learn about houses. There are many facets to natal chart interpretation but the simplest breakdown is as follows: if the planets are the what and the signs are the how, then the houses are the where.
Dreaming About the Things that We Could Be
Imagine your natal chart like a clock. The houses begin at 9pm and increase counterclockwise twelve times. Your ascendant, or rising sign, always falls in your first house. From there, your houses align with the Earth's 24-hour rotation around its axis. When reading your chart, it's possible to have empty and/or crowded houses. Don't panic! Just like the signs, not every house will have a planetary placement in your chart.
Each house has a related sign, modalities, and triplicities; the last two should feel familiar to you from our conversation about zodiac signs. To get a better sense of expression and proper interpretation, let's explore the house attributes and relationship to the zodiac signs.
Related Signs
Each house has a related zodiac sign and it's easy to correlate the two because they are ordered similarly. The first house is ruled by Aries, the first sign of the zodiac, and each house progresses with the signs until the twelfth and final, related to Pisces which is the twelfth and final sign. If you numbered the signs from one to twelve that is exactly the house to which they are related. Don't overcomplicate it; these relationships are very simple to remember.
Modality
Each house is categorized according to their mode of expression and falls into one of three modalities: angular, succedent, and cadent. These modalities directly coincide to the modalities of the signs, which are cardinal, fixed, and mutable. The chart below demonstrates these relationships.
Modality | Expression | Houses | Related Signs |
Angular | Action | 1st, 4th, 7th, 10th | Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn |
Succedent | Security | 2nd, 5th, 8th, 11th | Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius |
Cadent | Learning | 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th | Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces |
Triplicity
Just like the signs, the houses have similar triplicity classifications related to the four elements. Again, these classifications are directly correlated to the triplicity of the signs. The chart below demonstrates these relationships.
Triplicity | Expression | Houses | Signs |
Fire | Identity | 1st, 5th, 9th | Aries, Leo, Sagittarius |
Earth | Material | 2nd, 6th, 10th | Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn |
Air | Social, Intellectual | 3rd, 7th, 11th | Gemini, Libra, Aquarius |
Water | Soul, Emotional | 4th, 8th, 12th | Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces |
Sink in the River the Lessons I've Learned
Now that you understand the modality and triplicity of the houses and which signs they relate to we can explore the interpretation of the houses related to their expressions. The first six houses are called "personal" houses because of their expressions and interpretations, while the last six houses are called "interpersonal" houses.
When a planet in your natal chart enters a house, it energizes their traits and expression. Think of it like a spotlight - these are the functions in your life where you can focus and take action. The chart below is a summary of the different characteristics, expressions, and interpretations of the twelve houses. Do you like learning about astrology and placements? Be sure to subscribe below!
House | Expression | Modality | Triplicity | Related Sign | Interpretation |
1 | Self | Angular | Fire | Aries | Appearance, outward personality |
2 | Value | Succedent | Earth | Taurus | Money, possessions, values, skills |
3 | Sharing | Cadent | Air | Gemini | Mental activity, learnings, siblings, communication |
4 | Home/Family | Angular | Water | Cancer | Home, parents, roots, inner security |
5 | Pleasure | Succedent | Fire | Leo | Romance, children, fun, creativity |
6 | Health | Cadent | Earth | Virgo | Work, health, service, self-improvement |
7 | Balance | Angular | Air | Libra | Marriage and other partnerships |
8 | Transformation | Succedent | Water | Scorpio | Sex, death, letting go, regenerations |
9 | Purpose | Cadent | Fire | Sagittarius | Higher education, philosophy, publishing, religion, travel, law |
10 | Enterprise | Angular | Earth | Capricorn | Career, status, reputation, vocational purpose |
11 | Blessings | Succedent | Air | Aquarius | Friends, groups, goals, aspirations |
12 | Sacrifice | Cadent | Water | Pisces | Solitude, institutions, transcendence, self-sabotage |
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